In Memoriam
by CynicAlb
Summary: Future story. How old will Teal'c get?


Disclaimer: All characters owned by someone else except the one I wrote you can't have him.

A/N This was just one of those strange little plot bunnies that nibble on you until they get written. Not my usual fare but I've always wondered about what will happen to the next generations. Plus I always wanted to write a Teal'c story.

Enjoy...

CynicAlb

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In Memoriam

T'tac sat quietly on the rug, focused solely on the flame in front of him, he slowed his breathing and tried to clear his mind of all thought and feelings and emotions. There was a loud cough from behind him and T'tac screwed up his eyes and slumped his shoulders. "I'm trying to Kel nor reem Annie could you come back later." he turned to where the cough had come from surprised to see the stooping figure of his grandfather. "Grandfather!" he cried leaping up instantly from his position on the floor of his bedroom.

"I do not wish to interrupt you boy," said the old man with a smile, "please continue it is important to learn." The boy scowled.

"I don't like it," he said leading the other man to a chair by the bed where he sat. "Why do we still have to learn?"

"Because it's important to learn about the struggles of your ancestors." He said lowering into the chair. "I was required to Kel nor reem daily to keep my strength up and heal my body, you have only to do it once a week, because your mother has asked you to do so." he smiled at the boy.

"You had a symbiote, Grandpa? You never told me that."

"I imagine you were too young to remember but your father carried one too."

"How is that true? Tobin's father never had one and he's the same age as Dad."

"Actually your father over takes him by about five years, which is the interval it would take for the tretonin to be fine tuned and distributed to the masses. Yours is the first truly free generation of Jaffa."

"But my immunity comes from nannite technology right?" said the boy examining his hands as if he could see the small machines beneath his skin.

"Indeed," said the old man, "but that technology has only been available in the passed fifty years. The boy narrowed his eyes at his grandfather.

"How old are you grandfather?" A smile crinkled the elder's wizen features further.

"Old enough." He said. "Come," he held out his hand, "you are taking me out today." The boy placed his small hand on the large rough palm.

"Where am I taking you?"

"To visit some old friends." T'tac led the way out of the room and to the entrance to the small house, pausing only briefly at the door for the old man to pick up his walking stick.

"Why do you carry this?" asked the boy looking at the staff. "It's broken."

"I have always carried one, and I always will. It is not broken it is disabled out of respect for the peace in this village. Come alone little T, we want to be there by sunset." The boy hurried to catch up with the old jaffa.

"But you haven't told me where we're going."

"Tell, me do you parents celebrate the date for your birth?"

"Yes of course."

"It was not always so, I did not celebrate my birth until I had walked this galaxy more than a hundred years."

"Why not?"

"It was not our way, celebrating anything other than your god was wrong, birthdays are a gift from the Tau'ri."

"Is it one of your friend's birthdays?" The boy walked quickly to keep up with the long stride of the older man. The sun had barely risen and he wondered how far they were going that there was worry over getting there before sundown.

"Not as such. Let's just say it's an anniversary that I must acknowledge." They reached the building of the great ring and T'tac became apprehensive.

"Are we to travel through the Chappa'i Grandfather?" The old man merely nodded.

"Your father has agreed to let me show you this." He handed a note to the guard by the dialing device and then lent over to begin imputing the address. T'tac leaned over to see but didn't recognize the symbols. When the gate engaged the old man walked unerringly toward the event horizon. The boy followed after only a moment's hesitation.

After the cold of the wormhole the heat on the other side was almost painful.

"This was your first time through the Stargate boy." it wasn't a question T'tac looked up on the older man with awe as he seemed unaffected by the trip. After a moment he was able to look around the room.

It was a huge concrete structure with long vaulted windows that let in long rays from the sun that was disappearing behind the rolling dunes of sand visible through the open arch at the opposite end as the Stargate. In the center of the room was a small pyre with four pedestals sat in front of it. T'tac approached the plaques and read them off one by one.

"General Jonathon 'Jack' O'Neill, 1950-2042. Colonel Dr. Samantha Carter, 1963-2053. Dr Daniel Jackson 1965-2056. Master Teal'c 1895-," he stopped, "why is there no second date for that one?" The old man smiled.

"Because I am not yet dead. You do not know your own grandfather boy?"

"This is you?" he asked a little astonished. "I didn't know you're the Teal'c of the Tau'ri?"

"I much prefer that name, to the name carried throughout the war to free our people."

"What name was that?"

"Shol'va." The boy flinched, then recovered.

"You knew these people?"

"They were my friends we fought together until it was time to give the struggle to those younger and more able."

"Wait a minute Master Tre'ak was telling us about this, they're SG-1 you were part of SG-1." He turned to the monument. "What is this place?"

"A remembrance." Said Teal'c, "The Tau'ri put much stock in remembering their history in order to learn and honor those that came before. Daniel Jackson taught me much about that." His smile was nostalgic and peaceful.

"You miss them." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, they like you are my family." The boy fingered the dates on one of the plaques.

"They were so young."

"Not for Tau'ri, humans live their lives much more quickly than Jaffa."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I am keeping a promise I made to Daniel Jackson; to remember our struggle and tell others so that they may know the price of their freedom."

"But you said they lived out their lives."

"A life not given in battle does not diminish a life spent in service to the greater good. Though if it makes it better all three gave their lives many times in the battle against the false gods and many other evils the galaxy presented us with over time." He paused by Daniel's plaque. "Though some give their life more than others."

"But why?" asked the boy, a little confused, "My freedom is not anyone's business but my own. Why do I care about some dead humans, even if they were your friends?"

"T'tac!" the old man's voice cracked through the air. "Look around you this is not about dead humans, or dead jaffa. You owe your freedom to these humans because they dared to take a risk. Perhaps you are too young to understand." Teal'c took a torch from a wall mount and lit it from the pyre, and then he went around the room illuminating the darkened walls. T'tac followed his movement and was surprised to see that the walls weren't blank as he first thought they were covered in writing. No, not writing, names thousands of names. Teal'c moved swiftly to a wall near the door.

"All these people?" asked the boy.

"Jaffa, human, Tok'ra, Asgard the names of all those who perished fighting false gods." said Teal'c holding the torch to a spot on the wall. "Come see." The boy approached carefully and read the names written there. "Your first grandmother, Dre'ak and your father's and my own teacher Master Bra'tac." He moved on, "here this is Tobin's grandfather, and your teacher Master Tre'ak this is his son." Teal'c observed his grandson for a moment before kneeling to his level. "We need to remember and take their sacrifices with us and make them worth something. They fought and died for your freedom and you should value it for the price they paid." They left shortly after the sun had set and Teal'c lit candles for each of his friends. The boy, T'tac said little more until they were about to leave.

"You cared for them very much, didn't you Grandfather?"

"As I have said, they were my family." The old man punched in the address of T'tac's world and the wormhole engaged bathing the room in bright light. Teal'c gazed around the room. "They are all my family." With that he strode through the event horizon, followed after a moment by his grandson.


End file.
